Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries #11)(87)

“And I couldn’t have ducked? You couldn’t have told me hey, baby, your brother is laying in wait, you might want to get the jump on him?” He could feel his blood pounding through his system. All of it could have been avoided. Hutch being taken. Theo could be coming home. All of it turned to shit because Mia decided she knew best.

“I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

“Like he hurt you? Like he shot you?”

“It wasn’t the same. He’d already shot you once.” Her voice was shaking and she bit back a sob.

He couldn’t let her manipulate him with tears. “He pulled left. That shot should have hit my heart, but he moved. He was trying to get away, Mia. He was fighting the conditioning and you sent him back to hell. You did that. How can you think for a second that I’ll have anything to do with you after this? That we can have any kind of a future when you do nothing but lie and manipulate?”

“Can we please go somewhere private?”

He knew exactly what would happen if he got “private” with Mia. “So you can f*ck me and I won’t care that you cost my brother and my friend their lives? Is that what you plan on doing, Mia? You think you can go down on me and I’ll just forget what you did?”

“Jesus, don’t kill him,” Ian said with a long sigh. “Try to remember he just came out of surgery.”

Lawless stood behind his sister. “Mia, get your things. We’re leaving.”

He braced himself because he knew what happened next. This was when Mia lashed out. This was when she fought back. Her original plan had failed and now she would lash out and then walk off to plot and plan and he would have to be ready for her. He wouldn’t indulge her this time. It was too f*cking serious an infraction.

She’d cost him the whole op. The most important op of his life.

He waited for Mia to throw a punch. Instead, she turned and walked out, moving back toward the bedroom they were supposed to have shared.

“Look at me and listen to me well, Taggart.” It looked like it might be her brother who threw the punch. He got right in Case’s face. “I made you that offer months back because I honestly thought you were best for my sister. She loved you and I thought if I could just reach inside that stubborn as shit Taggart brain of yours and tickle your pride a little, you would get off your ass and love her back. I’m only telling you this because I tried that stupid trick but I need you to understand that I’m not attempting to manipulate you now. I mean every f*cking word I say. If I see you even come near Mia again, I’m going to kill you. I’ll do it and I’ll get away with it because I’ll find the best lawyer money can buy and believe me, I can buy a lot. If you show up on my doorstep again, I’ll gut you and I won’t think twice about it.”

“You’ll try,” Case shot back. Despite the fact that he was pissed as shit at her, he didn’t like the idea of someone keeping him from her. When he was ready to deal with her again. He needed to not see her face for a few days, for his volcanic rage to die down a bit before he set up completely new ground rules for their relationship.

“Stop it.” Ian stepped between him and Lawless. “Drew, you have to see his point. You would if it were Riley or Bran on the line. He needs some time to think before he shoves his foot in his mouth so hard he can feel it in his ass.”

“I don’t have to see anything, Ian.” Lawless’s eyes were cold. “I’m taking my sister home. I think I can find another security company. Ezra, we’re leaving.”

Ezra got to his feet, the only person in the room who looked perfectly satisfied with the way things had gone. “I’ll put you in touch with my old boss. I’m sure Guy and his group can meet your needs.”

Good f*cking riddance.

Mia walked out, her bag in hand. She didn’t look his way.

That pissed him off even more. What the hell game was she playing now? “We’re not done talking.”

Mia kept walking.

“Mia!”

She never looked back.

Lawless followed his sister, Fain hard on their heels.

The door slammed and Case stared at it.

“Fucking shitty day,” Ian cursed. “Alex, we’re going to need a flight home. Case just cost us our ride, a million dollar a year contract, and our children cousins since the next time Mia lets him touch her will be a cold f*cking day in hell.”

Alex looked grave as Ian strode out, yelling at Li to join him. “Pray Ian doesn’t get stiffed with the bill for this place. I don’t think his heart will be able to take it.”

Case stared at the spot where Mia had disappeared.

In a few days she would be back. She was just playing him again. One more manipulation.

But she would be back. She would.

She had to.





“Are you all right?” Drew sighed and sat down in the chair beside her. “That was a stupid question.”

Was she all right? She was hollow. She was empty.

Case had looked at her like she was a piece of trash. He’d broken that promise to her—that they would talk, that he would stay and fight it out. He’d told her there was no future. He hadn’t even listened to her. He didn’t care that she’d been desperate to save him.

“It’s fine, Drew.” Her voice sounded like a bland monotone. It was all she could do to keep from crying. “I just want to get back to Austin.”